Icing on the Cake
by BeMerryEatCake
Summary: Amu's planning to throw a surprise party for a husband that doesn't even want one. And who else gets pulled into this crazy mess? Friends that'd rather watch paint dry. A three shot for En ar Ciel.


_This little bluebird came looking for you_

_Said that I hadn't seen you in quite some time_

_This little bluebird, she came looking again_

_I said we weren't even friends and that she could have you_

_Don't you think it was hard?_

Did you ever?

* * *

><p>She noticed her hands fumble with simple change to pay the bill. Rima caught the quiet tremble within them immediately. Only coins. And she knew very well, being the steady fingers kind of girl she was, that she had drank too much. Others might drop a few coins here and there, worthless to them, not even bothering to pick them up again and smile while apologizing for any delay in payment. Not that this spew of thoughts was at all relevant really…but case in point, Rima always used her change and never dropped it.<p>

Her head felt much too foggy to suit her tastes and her throat was itching and an inferno of numbing pain for over an hour, still going. Rima lips thinned so tightly it appeared as if they might just blend with her frail skin tone. She brought a dainty set of fingers to her temple, resting them there while letting her eyelids droop steadily from not exhaustion, but the stress of today's events that had escalated her into being as tired as hell. This was all hardly practical of her to do, considering she had work tomorrow.

In all honesty, she pictured herself two hours earlier at home, not in this dump. The bartender kept giving her the eye, yes, that one. The look guys seemed to think women didn't take any notice of, as if they were complete morons. Rima was tempted to roll her eyes, but knew if she made an effort for such a thing, she'd probably get insanely dizzy and conk out on the filthy floor. The blonde stood up, taking her time as she felt her entire body start to wobble without her consent. She left some money on the counter of course, even though she wanted to skip out on the bill entirely from the way the guy was looking at her. In the end, Rima steadied her straying fingers towards the money, and left.

Something she really began to regret as the sunlight decided to murder her eyes the moment she stepped out of the smoky and foul smelling bar. At least she hadn't come during busy hours, guys that hung out in places like this normally assumed she was the easy or naïve type. Only a couple approached her, but they were quickly thrown off by her bitchy clipped 'not interested' answers. Which wasn't something she would normally do actually. She loved to manipulate them to gain a free drink or two, something Amu absolutely was horrified witnessing on a girl's night out once upon a time. But she had an excuse for acting like there was a stick stuck up her rear this time, really, she did.

Rima shivered, the biting wind of winter smacking her dead in the face along with the farewell chime of the bell overhead following her out. She wanted to grumble bitterly about the logistics of blinding sunshine and freezing winds coupled together. But Rima sucked it up, shuffling her heeled feet along as she stuffed her numbed with cold fingers into her coat pockets.

She clicked and clacked noisily across the sidewalk of downtown, her strapless lavender dress fluttering at her bare knees with her unnecessary fuming speed and the slight breeze working it's way into her very bones. A chill wound right into Rima's spine suddenly, and she buried her quickly reddening cheeks into her high warm collar, slicing off the view of her tight lipped frown.

She put on these damn heels for a guy.

She put on this dress for a guy.

She did her hair for a guy.

She did this all for a guy.

A moronic one no less.

Rima huffed and puffed away, weaving through the crowd quite easily with her brisk pace and murderous aura. After a solid minute of this hazardous style of walking, Rima grew light headed and dizzier than she had been in the bar. The girl stopped abruptly as a wave of nausea overcame her, threatening her ability to think clearly. Because when she felt sick to her stomach, it reminded her of the same guy who had caused her to act like an idiot and indulge in drinking her misery away. Rima would have given into her note of disgust waiting on the tip of her tongue if she hadn't wanted to vomit right then and there on a street corner.

Rima, without gloves and a now dripping nose, let a bare hand fall to the brick wall to her right to support herself, not wanting to be mistaken for a pathetic stumbling drunk. She sniffed more times than she cared for within a minute, growing revolted with her stuffy-ness, and not to mention irritated with her foggy mind of jumbled thoughts and memories of earlier today. It wasn't just from the alcohol, the cold she had wasn't helping either. But that lazy smile, that cool flawless voice…it was all coming back. Her chest constricted painfully then, so quick, so fast, the girl couldn't describe the sting that came along with it.

Rima sighed as her left coat pocket buzzed, knowing it was probably Amu and if she didn't answer her friend would undoubtedly take it the wrong way. The blonde pulled the small phone from her pocket, hoping it wasn't a call because of the roar of background noise surrounding her at all corners would definitely make it impossible to hear a word. She found a text awaiting to be received, and thus did exactly that. What she found there was hardly surprising.

Rima's stared at the illuminant white screen, expressionless. Amu of course, started out her text by apologizing, for something stupid like maybe possibly interrupting her previous date with her…Hiro, right, just Hiro now. So, Amu still thought she was on her lunch date with him? The girl couldn't be further from the truth.

Rima's phone hummed again in her numbed fingers, warning that there was a second part incoming. The blonde read it over once lightning quick, and it really didn't make a lick of sense this way. But the recent text furled Rima's mind into an even more violent whirlwind of confusion as she re-read it again and again, just to make sure that's what had been typed. Amu was asking about some kind of cake, if she had it yet? Rima began an instant response that included a very simple 'what are you talking about', but stopped instantly on the 'a' as her memory banks started actually being useful today.

A few months back Amu was stressing over whether she should get an extra cake. She wanted to make a cake herself for Ikuto's birthday, having failed for many years before, determined to stick it out this time and not buy a pre-made store cake. But considering that Amu doesn't have a knack for cooking things all that well, and that she doesn't want help with making it, a second cake was brought up. Rima thought everyone could shut up and deal with the bound to be nasty taste, and that it didn't really matter. But Amu being Amu, she wanted everyone to enjoy at least one cake if hers ended up being terrible.

Rima sighed, thinking of the bother of a promise she made to Amu.

She mentioned a relative owning a bakery that takes specialized orders, which had the pinkette's attention in a heartbeat. She ended up being tied to getting a spongy mass of sugar for a guy she didn't like all that much anyway. Ikuto didn't seem like the sugar-crazed type come to think of it…does he even like sweets -

Rima grabbed her nose between her just as freezing fingers, impulsive tears springing to the corners of her eyes from the burn that had erupted right at the bridge. She cursed, looking absolutely ridiculous no doubt with her free hand cradling her nose, the other occupied with a cell phone. Without a stray thought to her actions, Rima flew inside the building she had been previously leaning against, wanting shelter against the merciless winter bite. Once inside, warmth flooded her skin, inducing her ears into flames from the abrupt temperature change.

The slam of a door and another damn bell screaming overhead made the girl practically jump out of her skin. Rima brushed back a loose strand of blonde, wondering if she should re-do her ponytail when she found herself being stared at by three other people occupying the room. It wasn't her instinct to smile at strangers, but she forced it onto her mouth anyway, noticing that they were all guys. Maybe they wouldn't immediately throw her out…

Rima glanced at the bars being supported by poles in the middle of the room, mirrors directly adjacent to them. And they weren't any normal ones either, these ones were oddly huge. From top to bottom almost, ten feet wide on each side, reflective surface. She figured she walked herself right into a dance place of some kind as she noticed the tight black pants and white tanks they were all wearing, like some kind of group would…a company?

A red head who had been in the middle of wiping his face, slung back his towel and nodded at her in greeting. "Hey," He took a sip of his water, catching his breath. The must have been practicing not too long ago. "-you looking for Nagi?"

This comment had Rima looking around again, getting a strange sense of unsettlement and dawning. She glanced to her right, noticing a small office area through an open doorway, maybe further back leading to another room that harbored this person named 'Nagi'. That could mean anything though. It could be someone completely, utterly different.

But…

Rima turned her attention back on the guys, seeing that the other two weren't even paying her any mind, readying themselves for leaving the scene to disappear through another hall. Only one.

Rima stored her phone back inside her coat pocket, not bothering to secure it in her purse as she should have done. Her smile had immediately evaporated as the mention of 'Nagi' and wasn't showing any signs of returning as she opened her mouth for the first time in front of them. "Um…" What the hell was that? Rima's nose wrinkled slightly at her hesitance. Her addresser waited patiently, raising both brows for her to continue. She should just turn on her heel and go back the way she came. Get the stupid cake, go to the party Amu had been planning forever and forget this ever happened.

Her chances of hailing a cab were about next to nil though.

"Yeah," Rima finally responded, horrified with her mouth. "I'm here for Nagi."

The freckled faced guy grinned, gesturing over her shoulder with his water. "Behind you."

Rima's eyes widened painfully in her shock, and she whirled at the sound of a familiar chuckle. Which wasn't the smartest thing, heels in mind. She flailed, trying to regain her balance with a coat that was about her weight in fabric. But the smooth wood floor wasn't having any of her desperate silent pleas, it went on being a slippery ass. If it wasn't for the firm fingers catching at her wrist, steadying her, Rima would have toppled right to the floor and gained quite a few bruises. The blonde immediately yanked from the sudden grip, afraid to look up into the face she always avoided at all costs. Difficult, yes, seeing as he's one of Amu's closest friends and gets invited to every little thing.

"What do you need?" Nagihiko asked, reeking of sweat but being not all that unappealing considering Rima had an eyeful of his chest with her gaze downcast. Damn athletic Ex-boyfriends.

He wasn't buff, but he wasn't lean. His shoulders somehow appeared broader than they were last time she saw him…weird. Unless she only remembered him from high school. Wow, long time no eye contact.

But she really was jealous of his healthiness.

Eating on the go and not exercising all that much gave her a bit of the chub syndrome. Having extra poundage here and there made her look like a fat chipmunk too. Does he really have to show off his fat free self that much?

Nagihiko took notice of her glare on his shirt area, amused as he always was with her sourness.

His brown eyes sparked in his humored state, and Rima didn't appreciate being wordlessly mocked that way. "Don't care for the uniform, huh? Didn't think black and white was that bad of a choice."

"I don't care about the uniform at all." She replied coldly, on some strange reflex she guessed. The girl crossed her arms, the coat suddenly feeling sweltering on her bare shoulders. "I didn't come in here for you, I was just…"

The violet haired young man waited, not even slightly bothered by her unnecessary hostility. Rima swallowed the irritating lump in her throat, uncomfortable now and at a complete loss for what to say that would make him leave her alone and go away. Where was the rest, the finish? Maybe it was because she had no idea why she stayed instead of hightailing it out of there like she normally would have done. But…no…it was more than that, there was something - _something _she wanted to say. She had no idea what slowly began to overcome her emotions. It was unrelenting and wouldn't back down no matter how hard she tried to shove it down. And when Rima felt her eyes begin to well up with tears, she knew then that it was the loneliness trying to catch her off guard again.

The same pathetic feeling she had after…

Rima bit her lip, turning around to make her abrupt and as per usual rude exit.

A strong hand at her shoulder didn't stop Rima in her tracks, a single voice did.

"Wait."

That word she thought would never come from him after so many times of sneaking out of the room, leaving a house, anywhere he was. Her feet responded to the command instantly, and Rima found herself shocked to her core that she actually listened to him. The girl wiped at her eyes, sniffling, knowing her stuffiness was going to seep into any kind of future conversation now that her crying was aiding her cold.

Rima angled her neck in his direction, wanting nothing more than to simply ignore his trivial word that had somehow affected her in more ways than she ever would have anticipated. She felt vulnerable, weak, like a complete idiot for reacting like this out of nowhere. She expected a spiteful lilt to his smile this time, a victorious high and mighty look to his eye, knowing that he had seen her in the weakest of moments.

She should have figured he'd give her that gentle little tilt of his lips, and that soft understanding gaze. The one she would never admit to missing out loud. Not even to Amu.

"I'm closing up," He spoke softly, as if his words would hurt her further. "I can take you home if you want."

Rima found herself in Nagihiko's car ten minutes later shockingly enough, Nagihiko dressed for winter and hair free from its tie. She was surprised he hadn't cut it all off still. The girl ran her finger along the cool passenger handle, trying to distract her pitiable tear ducts from crying again. Today the searing burn to her eyes and nose kept building up and washing away. Something that was starting to get old. At the bar, all she had to do was take a sip of her drink and the pure nastiness of it would send her sadness straight back where it came from. But she supposed, seeing Nagihiko probably just reminded her of Hiro and that's why the tears started collecting again. But the faint need to be comforted and consoled, settling at the edge of her mind, it was beginning to annoy Rima so much as she wanted to scream. Why was she in his car anyway? She shouldn't be doing this!

The car kick into gear as Nagihiko turned the key into the ignition, throwing Rima immediately out of her irritating thoughts. When it started it was as if someone else had nailed the vehicle with a truck, the vibration had Rima's body jostling a bit too much for her liking. When it settled, the girl sent Nagihiko a look out of the corner of her eye.

He either caught it or sensed her aggravation, appearing somewhat humored. "I know this thing pretty much sucks. Figured it was better than the bus."

Rima shoved in her seatbelt, having gotten fed up with gently trying to snap it in place. "It is."

Nagihiko craned his neck to look behind his seat, the crunch of gravel sounding dull outside as he backed up in the parking lot behind the studio Rima now knew was called 'Rhythm Dance Company'. She eyed her nails, ignoring the endless questions settling on her tongue she had for Nagihiko. Amu never mentioned what was going on in his life after their breakup right before graduation, knowing that Rima wanted absolutely nothing to do with him after that. Sometimes, the girl would slip up and say something that happened to Nagihiko, but always instantly switched the subject when Rima's mouth wound its way into a stiff frown.

Nagihiko went back into his normal position, successful in his attempt not to ram into his friend Ryu's car, the red head from before. He appeared surprised with her clipped response as he began to wind the wheel tightly to the side, trying to angle the tires in the right direction.

"_You_ took the bus?" He pressed down on the gas pedal, shooting a bit too quickly forward.

Rima about hissed in reply, having her seatbelt about choking her from the sudden movement and brake. "Yes. I do live downtown you know, it wasn't that fwar."

Rima realized this sounded like he should have known she lived here, and tried to brush off the faint traces of guilt seeping their way into her gut.

Nagihiko came to a stop at a red light around the corner, seemingly unaffected by her sardonic tone and impulsive words. In fact, he was smiling widely, completely opposite of an expected reaction. "…fwar?"

Damn it. Rima about rolled her eyes, wishing he would just ignore her cold and stuffy tone and be the mature twenty-three year old he is. "Shud dup. I've been tryiig to speak coherandly."

She sniffed again, narrowing her eyes and trying to search out any remnants of tissues.

The car groaned to life again as green showered onto both their faces. Nagihiko threw a glance to Rima, wondering what exactly she was doing, shoving around the clutter with her feet.

"Sorry about that, didn't have time to clean up this week." Rima's lips furrowed in disgust as she eyed a container with remnants of hardened sauce and other nasty bits.

"Obiouslee."

Nagihiko smiled despite her sarcasm. "But you won't find any tissues there." He reached into his left coat pocket, while driving, the _idiot_, throwing whatever the heck was inside at her face. Rima offered a sub-zero glare in return, grabbing at the two separate pieces and wanting very much to throw them back the same exact way. But that would most likely follow up to car crash. Rima sat there, placid with her annoying drippy nose that seemed to keep getting worse, sniffing up a storm as she looked down at her surprise gift.

Two black gloves. Entirely too big for her, being for guys and larger handed people in general. Rima didn't give way to her colliding polar opposite thoughts with an open expression, she just continued to stare at the pair of gloves without a sound.

_He noticed._

_Who cares if he did?_

_I didn't say anything about it..._

_Doesn't matter._

_He didn't have to though..._

_Don't you_ dare_ think that way._

Rima focused on this very last one, not bothering to put the thick gloves to use. Having an argument with herself of something so minor and insignificant in her life, a complete waste of time and energy.

"So," He started out without a indication of spite from her lack of gratitude. "Is there a reason you're wearing heels and a dress today?"

Rima's fingers curled tightly, her fingernails biting at the insides if her palms. She almost didn't answer. "Yes."

With no hint of continuance laced in her voice, Nagihiko didn't say anything else for a while. He went on driving down the city streets, attention solely focused on the road, letting Rima's mind drift into her unpleasant thoughts once again.

But her conscious state didn't get the chance to wander off very far as her phone started vibrating inside her coat pocket. With a mental jolt shocking her down to her toes, Rima quickly took out her cell, showcasing its girly colored-ness to the man beside her. But she didn't mind the hot pink casing so much (a gift from her mother) as she began to feel horrible about forgetting to reply to Amu. This text asked about the cake again, but instead was coupled with a 'when will you be coming?'.

"STOP."

And the car came to a lurching halt.

* * *

><p>The bakery was cool, clean and created goose bumps all along Rima's exposed skin. She clicked and clacked her way across the baby blue tile flooring, wanting now to shove those ridiculously huge gloves onto her freezing cold hands. Her soft cotton like pockets did nothing to aide against icy temperatures and Rima wouldn't be surprised if she got frost bite from all of today's abuse combined.<p>

The place was quaint and cute with its soft hues of pinks and azures sprinkled across the walls. A showcase of sweets were underneath the counter, gently showcased with faint lights, making them seem less calorie packed to weight conscious costumers and more pleasing to the eye and stomach.

Heat wavered towards her neck, catching her immediate attention. Rima looked to her side to see Nagihiko beside her, face a constant polite smile alongside his stature that was open and friendly. He was radiating warmth, and it kept hovering right near her small body, just out of reach. It teased and tickled, sending the girl into bold annoyance. Rima faced the worker at the counter, expression not at all like Nagihiko's, hoping that you didn't have to order in advance for a cake.

"I'm here to buy a birftday cake." She pulled her wallet out of her purse, not caring about the price at this point. Rima just wanted a stupid cake with Ikuto's name on it. The middle aged woman smiled, a nervous one, slightly unsure of Rima's detached tone and appearance.

"Well, we're out of the chocolate flavors, but we have all types of other varieties."

_How can you be out of chocolate?_ Rima questioned mutely, but in the long run didn't care enough to bring the subject up. "Whadevfers fide."

Nagihiko leaned a bit too far into Rima's personal space to say something by her ear. "She said all types of varieties. Come on, you don't want to disappoint him do you?"

His natural heater-like self can go stuff it for saying that. Why would she worry about what the lazy ass wants? Rima took a few steps closer to the counter, feeling odd twinges with Nagihiko so close, only to be met by the employee's blinding wide grin.

"Aw, is it for your son?" She ventured brightly, clicking and clacking away on the register. "I have two daughters myself. Both are in elementary though."

What was _with_ this lady? Rima's expression blew up right into several levels of horrified, an emotion it wasn't at all accustomed to as Nagihiko laughed right out.

The woman's gaze traveled back up to catch on Rima's crimson stained cheeks. She appeared puzzled with Rima's reaction, about to ask when Nagihiko explained.

"We're not together." He gave a polite smile. "It's for a friend."

He may be _Nagihiko's_ friend, but he wasn't Rima's. That good for nothing sleeps practically all day and goes on tours all the time, Amu could do better. But she didn't utter such things to the girl when she knew of how much Amu loved that irresponsible little jerk. It wouldn't convince her anyhow.

The employee's face showered straight into embarrassment, and she about opened her mouth to apologize for assuming.

But Nagihiko shook his head, waving it all away. "It's fine. We'll just take -"

"We'll take fadilla." Rima cut in, knowing full well that was the worst flavor to choose with Ikuto.

Nagihiko gave the small girl a knowing look, but didn't challenge Rima's choice.

"Well," The cashier beamed, perky as ever. "All I need is a name and some minor details of the specifics."

Rima complied, and about twenty minutes later ended up with a cake wrapped up in a frilly little box (which Rima believed to be half the outrageous price) in her lap and on her way to Amu's house. She then could reply to Amu's message without having to lie through her teeth in text, not mentioning she was arriving with Nagihiko of course.

Said person kept providing unneeded glances throughout a particular irritating five minutes though, and it took all of Rima's willpower not to yank on his long hair to make him spit out the important statement that he oh-so-wanted to declare.

Eventually he did unlock his tightly shut lips to spill his guts, but what he did have to say didn't help Rima's mood all that much.

"Ikuto hates vanilla," he supplied, fire to Rima's infuriated flame. "Besides that, it reminds him of Tadase and how Amu and him were together for awhile."

"Thad's really dub." She replied wryly, not feeling even vaguely guilty. "He's married to her, whad else does he wadt?"

"You know…" He started, as if thinking of a memory of his own that was similar. "It doesn't matter what it is. If it traces back to another guy, we get jealous."

Picturing her recently turned ex-boyfriend, Rima's yellow eyes dulled of their hazy cover of irritancy. "So, if a girl geds jealous, she's dumped…" She whispered, fingers shaking as tried to force down the overwhelming fit of depression that had been eating at her façade for the past three hours.

"What?" Nagihiko asked quietly, taking notice of her swift change of mood, confused.

A bitter scowl settled onto the girl's lips. "You wadt to know why I'm wearing dis?" She didn't require a reply to her angered tone. "I was goiig to meet with my boyfried, Hiro, for lunch. I went along with id even though I was planning on meetiig somewhere more private thad day. Amu convinced me to go with my plans of breaking up with him anyway, and said I wouldn't be able to go through with it otherwise."

Nagihiko wasn't smiling now. "You tried before." It wasn't a question, it was a correct assumption.

Rima's eyes flickered to the side of his face. "Yes. But I was never able to go thwrough with id."

If Nagihiko was the spiteful jerk kind of type, he would have said 'but you were with me'. Despite possibly being sore about that subject, he didn't mention anything that was no doubt in his head.

"So, I wendt." A shaky breath. "And it's like any other tibe we're together, tense. But it's nod like that's new, everything's always strained between us since…" Her cold wasn't affecting her words as much now, but she couldn't bring herself to be happy about something that had been bothering her all day suddenly up and disappearing.

If Nagihiko wasn't pleased earlier, it was nowhere near how angry he seemed now. "He cheated on you."

Rima traced the ribbon trailing over the edge of the box. "Yeah. And on the same night I was planning to, he broke up with me." She blinked, ignoring the tears and wanting them to evaporate. "Before I could do it…"

Nothing was spoken between the two for several minutes. After awhile, Rima let her head drift against the freezing glass, feeling misplaced and entirely used up. She didn't want to hold back anymore, now she just wanted to go home and cry her eyes out. The serene wind slicing past was a constant lulling sound Rima never really listened to before. But she could clearly make it out as Nagihiko kept at a fast, even speed. Rima let her aching eyes glide to a complete close with the calming song of the coasting wind.

She almost fell asleep when the boy beside her decided to speak once more.

"Why'd you stay?"

Rima jerked back up, as if someone had come up and slapped her across the face. She adjusted her position, gaining a new firm grip on the box. "Id was my choice, my business. What does id matter to you?"

He snorted, giving her a bemused glance. "What does it matter?" Nagihiko repeated, his smile diminishing to be replaced with a quiet lethal anger. "Is it that hard to believe I care about you, Rima? He hurt you, and frankly, that pisses me off."

Rima avoided looking in Nagihiko's direction as she found it difficult to concentrate on a single thing after his words were fed into her ears. Her strong impassive mask cracked right down the middle as she tried to get a grip on her response. _How_ can he care? Rima flexed her fingers to have something to do, staring directly ahead. She was the girl who broke his heart. He shouldn't be telling her that he cared she was the dumpee this time. Nagihiko should be jumping for joy and relishing in his nagging revenge that had surely been eating at the back of his mind for years.

Right then, Rima began to get mad.

It was more than that, actually. The niggling little demon at the base of her throat, with its rude words and raging yells, wanted to be set free to wreak havoc and destroy what bit of friendliness had been achieved during this car ride. Rima's neck whipped around in Nagihiko's direction, and she didn't even feel uncomfortable meeting his face this time, the anger sort of canceled it out. She set the cake between her calves, bracing her legs while reaching over, without any verbal warning, and yanking the steering wheel sharply to the right.

This caused Nagihiko to say something not all that polite in panic as his foot shot down on the brake to prevent the car from rolling completely upside down into a ditch. The vehicle rocked violently as it came to a stop, leaning dangerously on one side at the edge of the road where it started to slope. There were a few blaring horns directed towards their reckless selves (well, technically Rima's reckless self) and a few rather upset drivers yelling at them as they drove on down the road. But it was brash, the action, without a single smart thought supplying it. She knew that. But she wanted everything to just stop, this, his compassion that somehow still existed for her.

She had no right to be the receiver.

"I can't believe you did that." A partly bemused but mostly shocked laugh fell from Nagihiko's lips. "I can't believe you just did that…"

Rima pursed her lips, fed up already after his second repeat of shock in the form of a declaration. "You wadt a gold star for properly reiteradiig yourself?"

"I would actually," He held out his hand. "Unless you were bluffing of course?"

A spark of anger relit her honey eyes bright once again. "I'm nod a liar."

He met her eye for eye, his little smile taunting her, always daring her to step out of her protected circle of comfort and familiarity. "Prove it."

Rima slowly slid her purse off her arm, face calm, eyes simmered. She craned her neck downwards to peer inside the bleakly colored interior of her bag, combing her fingers through random bits and pieces to find his freaking gold star. Her fingertips fluttered over various stray change, lipstick cartridges, and other things that she couldn't really tell where exactly. She looked up after a bit, thin pale blonde brows curving high in triumph in the direction of the creature who dared to call her a liar.

She proudly revealed a sharpie enclosed in her left hand, smirking a very confident 'I told you so'.

He mutely questioned her, slightly confused at what kind of point she was trying to make. Rima grabbed one of his hands from the wheel in the form of an answer, without any kind of permission, popping the black cap cleanly off with the edge of her thumb. Nagihiko watched her, fascinated with this focused blonde, one he hadn't seen in such a long stretch of seasons that had come and gone in the blink of an eye.

Winter storms, summer winds, chilly falls, those springs she loved so much. All without her. And on this day, by some kind of random screwy chance, he met her again. Just her, no one else of the group that she could hide behind, and under circumstances that were a hell of a lot friendlier than the ones in the past few years.

But this time…he couldn't stop himself from staring.

The tip of her tongue peeked out as she pressed the shockingly freezing point to the underside of his abducted hand. She always used to do that when she read her gag manga in class. The fact that she still had that cute habit made his belief that people never changed stronger.

Nagihiko almost snorted at himself, incredulous of why he was treating the situation as entirely normal and not strange at all. The girl had almost made them wreck for gods sakes. He should be mad, spiteful, all those insignificant things ex's typically were. Or portrayed as.

But he figured he owed Rima respect, even though she hadn't given much in return herself, he still couldn't stand to throw out bitter glares, harsh biting remarks. Maybe it was normal for other previously together couples. To him, he didn't think of their relationship as a mistake.

Even though Rima most definitely did, he never would.

His hand then slipped out of her delicate, much too small fingers. She was so tiny, so fragile…

Nagihiko observed her wobbly inky work to distract his roving mind, turning it this way and that, trying to figure out which point was the top. "It's…black."

"Yeah?" She questioned, face wiped clean of any openness from before. "And?"

He tapped the window next to him with the top of his knuckle, puzzled. "Stars are yellow, or…golden."

"Use your imagination." She replied with a very slight condescending slope to her tone, just barely giving way to plain old rude. "I'm sure your feminine skin color is close enough to…" And there goes her subtle mocking ways, in comes the sneer. "- _golden_."

Nagihiko smiled, still looking at the unsteadily drawn shape with interest. "Hm."

"What?"

"I think…I like it better this way."

Rima adjusted the loose watch on her wrist, cursing stores that didn't ever have her size, and also vaguely curious even if she didn't want to admit it. "…Why?"

"It's the star that blends in with the sky, different from the others." He spoke distantly. "A one of a kind. The one that you'd have to go without seeing to believe in it…."

"How cheesy of you." Rima replied, seemingly uninterested in his childlike fascination.

"Yeah." He started the car with a knowing smile, looking at Rima that way where he said so many things at once without a single word coming out of his mouth. The girl looked away first, blushing for some reason she couldn't explain. Rima busied herself with scrambling to put the cake back into her lap, her entire body out of sorts from one trivial look.

She simply understood him even if she didn't want to. "I know."

_She always had_

* * *

><p><strong>First off, I honestly detested this story a month ago. I was dead set on re-writing it completely and never letting it see the sight of Fanfiction. It's the first part to a three part story, a present for my friend En ar Ciel. An epic fail present for her birthday back in Aug.<strong>

**Yes, August. I'm horrible. I had no idea what to do for the first part of the story, and I somehow pulled this out my rear. I read it again and I thought, you know, it's not so bad. I wanted to make it awesomeness with a side of epic for my friend, but, sadly that didn't happen. THIS came to be instead. It's the most bland most boring thing I think I could possibly write. **

**The whole quote in the beginning is lyrics from Bluebird by Christina Perri. I love that song~ **

**It connects to something that happened in the past with Nagihiko and Rima, they were never together by the way. They were almost, but Rima thought he didn't like her and gave him up to this other girl that was her friend that pursued him back in highschool. **

**I think I had so much difficultly writing this because Rimahiko is at the bottom of my favorite pairings for Shugo Chara. Yes. I know, it's insane. But I seriously like writing Yaya/Kairi more than Rima/Nagihiko. (And it's funny, I made a Rimahiko story too. Weird.) T.T I apologize a billion times to my awesome friend and various other Rimahiko lovers out there for this absolute fail of fluff. I really hope you, reader, enjoyed some part of this. Just know, to make up for it, shirtless Ikuto will appear in part 3 :D **

**EDIT: The awesome cold speak is from Caity, my beta, the person who this fic is for. She beta-ed this awesomly, she SAVED it from being ew-y bad and horrid. All the correctly done cold speak credit goes to En ar Ciel, and the grammar of course. I can't believe I forgot to credit her! TERRIBLE. My cold speak sounded more like three year old talk, thank god for betas I tell you.**


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